March/April 2009

Give Your Nose A Spring Break!!!

If you are one of the 40 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, there is hope in reducing those unavoidable symptoms the natural way.  Hay, pollen, trees, grasses and weeds are only a few of the offenders that invade your system.  The way your body guards you from these offenders is by producing a chemical reaction called histamine which causes inflamed vessels, teary eyes, itchiness and sometimes even asthma.  Histamine in doing what is right for our bodies, causes discomfort at the same time. 

The alternative natural options you have as oppose to allergy medication or anti-histamines are very successful if you start two to three weeks prior to “allergy season”.   You must be consistent and patient at the same time as the alternative options do not work within hours like medication does, however; the results at the end are very satisfactory and have no side effects.

Alternative options include adding to your diet an intake of 1.0 – 1.6 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per day.  ALA is omega 3 fatty acid that the body can use to make EPA and DHA.  Foods such as flaxseed, fish oil, walnuts, canola oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil are good examples.  Other sources of omega 3 fatty acids include sea life such as krill and algae.  If you use omega 3 supplements and are taking medication for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol or blood thinners consult your doctor as there are some contraindications.

If you are vegetarian you can get your daily supplement of DHA through vegetarian sources, such as marine algal oil.  O-Mega-Zen3 is a daily DHA supplement by NuTru that contains 300mg of DHA-rich marine algal oil.  Deva is another company that offers a daily 200mg DHA supplement called Vegan Omega-3 DHA Softgels that is also derived from algae.  

The herb butterbur leaf extract has been found to be very effective.  Studies have shown that butterbur is as effective as Allegra and Zyrtec.  Butterbur should not be use long term, and; if you are allergic to ragweed, this herb is not recommended.

Turmeric is another supplement that will not only help with allergies but is also an anti-inflammatory of the joints and ligaments.  Turmeric is a root and is in the same family of ginger.  If you have peanut allergies, do not take turmeric or curcumin.

You can also enjoy red wine or a supplement called resveratrol which will give you the same results as red wine without the effects of alcohol.  Eat foods that contain lots of onions, eat foods high in vitamin C or supplement with extra vitamin C and also with quercetin.  Supplementing with acidophilus is also recommended as it will increase the amount of good bacteria in your body which helps fight off bad bacteria which includes yeast. Yeast can live in the nasal cavities.

Last but not least, keep your nose clean at all times and rube the outer part with a little Vaseline to keep these invaders from entering.  This is a great tip to use with children who suffer from seasonal allergies as well as making sure they eat lots of fruit high in vitamin C and foods high in ALA.  Make sure that they have no allergies to seafood and nuts.  Do not give herbs or supplements to your children without first consulting their pediatrician. Herbs are not recommended for women that are pregnant, considering pregnancy or who are nursing.